FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told lawmakers Tuesday that the first phase of the agency’s air traffic control modernization program is expected to cost $16 billion, exceeding the $12.5 billion Congress provided last year for ATC upgrades. The congressional funding included $9 billion for system modernization and $3.5 billion for facilities construction.
FAA Covering Funding Gap
“It’s costing $16 billion to do phase one,” Bedford said during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing Tuesday.
Bedford said the FAA is covering the difference through its facilities and equipment budget and is seeking at least another $10 billion from Congress for phase two of the modernization effort.
The FAA’s current program, called the Brand New Air Traffic Control System, is intended to replace aging communications, radar, weather and other ATC equipment on an accelerated schedule. In his prepared testimony, Bedford said that as of Sept. 1 the agency had replaced more than 64% of its copper-based telecommunications network, converted more than 400 radio sites and installed 101 airport surface-awareness systems.
GAO Raises Cost, Schedule Concerns
Bedford’s testimony followed a GAO report released Monday that found the FAA has not developed a comprehensive lifecycle cost estimate or integrated master schedule for the modernization program. The GAO said phase one consists of 13 programs and 11,389 individual project schedules. The agency previously estimated the system implementation portion of phase one at $10.6 billion and plans to complete the phase by December 2028.
The second phase is expected to focus on new automation systems used to track aircraft and manage traffic flow. The GAO said the FAA has estimated those system upgrades at approximately $10.2 billion, excluding facilities, but has not established a start or completion date. Bedford told lawmakers Tuesday that additional funding will be needed as the FAA moves beyond the current phase.
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